Tram Build

Over the last 12 months we have been busy building a pair of trams to run at FMR, we ran a competition last year to give children the chance to name them, it was won by a 12 year old from Stamford who named them George and Charlotte after the new royal babies.

The idea is to build them with as much old tram flavour as is possible for the size of track we run on, they are based on trams from around the 1910 – 1920 period, when complete they will carry 24 passengers or 20 passengers and a wheelchair, as with our other coaches if not being used by a wheelchair we will happily carry prams, buggies or small children’s bicycles, (Wheelchairs will always take priority).

The build is coming along very well and we hope to have them up and running by autumn, all the chassis work and power unit are complete and we had a short track test with them earlier this year.

The trams will have driver operated electric doors, and will allow us to operate without a guard and that will also allow us to extend the service we offer.

Tram ChassisTram Chassis and Power UnitFirst CladdingDoors Open With Wheelchair Double Door Open in Middle, Driver Position on the End, Right

2 July 2016

Work on the trams is progressing nicely with the bodywork on tram 1 now complete and ready for painting, towards the middle of July we will start to add the bodywork to tram 2 and hope to have that completed by September, that will give us all the winter months to finish them.

A few more progress photographs below.

First fitting of bodyworkFront going on to driver positionBodywork complete and waiting for handrailsComplete with 3 coats of primer/undercoat

The next stage for this one is top coat painting and advertising boards, after September we will start working on the controls, then the interior trim and seating.

28 December, update.

Both trams are now at the same stage, with all body work complete and hand rails fitted, Laurence has started work on the control systems and one is almost complete, in the new year he will finish the controls while I install all the door locks and electric wiring.
Hopefully in January we will be doing some track testing, I will take some video and add it to both this site and Facebook.

20 October 2017, update.

Work on the trams has been quite slow over the summer months but has now started again with most of the paint on the outside done, all driver controls fitted and tested, the floor is in and all the doors are now fitted with the electric lock system installed and tested, the seat frames are made and waiting to be installed.